THE GAME: The Dallas Cowboys (11-1) vs. the Giants (8-4) at the Meadowlands on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 8:25 p.m. ET

THE WEATHER: Welcome to winter! The temperature at kickoff should be just above freezing, but with even light Meadowlands winds it'll feel colder. Much colder. Oh, and good news! Snow is in the forecast. Right now it's not supposed to start until after midnight, so it won't be a factor unless there's overtime. But hey, you never know.

WHAT IT MEANS: First, and perhaps foremost, the Giants don't want to see the Dallas Cowboys clinch the NFC East -- and possibly a first-round bye, or even the No. 1 seed in the NFC -- against them in their home stadium. No, even with a win the Giants aren't going to win the division, but they do have plenty of pride. They also are in a tighter-than-you-think wild-card chase so they need to win to stay ahead of Washington and Tampa. The Redskins play the Eagles at 1 p.m. and the Bucs play the Saints at 4:25 p.m. If both of them win and the Giants lose, the Giants and Bucs will be tied for the two wild-card spots at 8-5 and the Redskins will be right behind at 7-5-1. And that doesn't even factor in the Vikings (6-6 and facing the awful Jaguars) and Packers (6-6 and playing host to the Seahawks). The point? The race is tight. The Giants are in good position, but they need wins.

Oh, and one more thing. They were down after their loss in Pittsburgh last week -- the first "real" test in their brutal December schedule. It made their six-game winning streak against inferior competition look small, and they know it. Then they knocked down even further when DE Jason Pierre-Paul was lost for the regular season after undergoing surgery on a sports hernia and his groin. They need a pick-me-up, a reason to feel good again, a boost to their confidence. Beating the Cowboys for the second time this season could do it. A loss, though, would send them spiraling into their big game against the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions next week.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Giants DE Olivier Vernon. The Giants' $85 million man is having a fantastic season that goes way beyond his eight sacks -- the second-best total of his career. He's been a consistent source of pressure, a great locker room presence, and has been terrific in helping stop the run. He's also been on a tear. He has sacks in five straight games, including two each in the last two games. Few defensive ends are playing better, and that included JPP, who was on a tear of his own. They made quite a 1-2 punch. Now, of course, JPP is gone and his trio of replacements -- Kerry Wynn, Owa Odighizuwa and rookie Romeo Okwara -- have two career sacks between them. That means Vernon, in a game against the best offensive line in football (and a terrific left tackle in Tyron Smith) is going to have to do it on his own. The Giants' pass rush has been fantastic and the pressure it's gotten on quarterbacks particularly in fourth quarters is a big reason why they have won eight games. But can Vernon do it with no real help from the other end? He's fought through his share of double-teams, to be sure, but now he'll see more than ever. This isn't really a fair matchup to truly judge his ability to be 'The Man' in the Giants' pass rush, but it's absolutely what he's going to have to be from here on out. And for the $85 million contract he got from the Giants, he ought to be able to do it.

MATCHUP TO WATCH: Cowboys TE Jason Witten against Giants S Landon Collins. Hey, maybe you've heard this before, but the Giants can't cover tight ends. Every week, it seems, tight ends are open and put up big yardage against them. It's happened all season and it's happened for years and, arguably, no tight end has inflicted more damage against them than Witten --who, by the way, had nine catches for 66 yards against the Giants on Opening Day. That actually isn't a bad performance by the Giants, who have given up 63 catches for 793 yards and three touchdowns to tight ends this season. Of course, that was Dak Prescott's first NFL game, and he's gotten a little better at finding the holes in defenses since then. Now, Collins won't be the only one on Witten, but he's likely to be their primary defender because of his combination of size, physicality, and speed. Witten will get his catches and yards, but Collins -- and the entire Giants defense, really -- needs to make sure he's not running wide open down the middle of the field the way so many tight ends have done against the Giants this season.

THE PICK: Forget for a moment that the Giants won in Dallas on Opening Day, and that it remains the Cowboys' lone loss. It is a significant victory, to be sure, but it was also the first game for the Cowboys' rookie quarterback. It also could've been different if Terrance Williams had gone out of bounds to stop the clock on his last catch. Maybe. Anyway, the Cowboys are a much different and much better team now and Prescott has been simply terrific. Sure, it helps that he has the NFL's second-best run game at his disposal, but he doesn't make mistakes (only two interceptions in 358 attempts, and none since Oct. 30) and he can throw when he has to (he had back-to-back 300-yard games in Pittsburgh and at home against Baltimore in mid-November). With Dez Bryant and Witten, they have as good a 1-2 punch in passing game weapons as anyone, and Cole Beasley (60-670-5) is actually their leading receiver, and Williams (29-394-2) is pretty good, too. And really, they are all only a complement to the stellar running of rookie Ezekiel Elliott (1,285 yards) behind the best offensive line in football.

Jason Garrett has one of the most well-built teams in the NFL and he's running it to near perfection. Now, if there is one Achilles heel it's the pass defense. They don't get a ton of pressure and their cornerbacks can be beat. If only the Giants' passing offense had been clicking at all this season that might be enough to give them an edge. But the Giants are so out of sync right now, and struggling so much to get everyone involved, it's hard to see them suddenly putting it all together. The offensive line has been a mess and Eli Manning is rushing all his throws, and the only thing that seems to work is when he throws the ball to Odell Beckham, Jr.. That is not going to be enough against a team this good. Really, the Giants are lucky they got Dallas in the opener, because they're just not good enough to beat them the way either one of them are playing now. … Cowboys 24, Giants 17.

FNNY, presented by Jeep: Are the Giants heading in the right direction?

12:09AM

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GEICO SportsNite: FNNY on Giants00:03:47

The Football Night in New York crew discusses if the Giants are heading in the right direction and if Eli Manning is an elite quarterback.

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GEICO SportsNite: Giants set to face Dallas Cowboys in NFC East battle

12:05AM

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GEICO SportsNite: Giant showdown00:01:11

Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and defensive end Olivier Vernon discuss the preparation going into the game against Dallas.

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Giants Goal Line: JPP down, G-Men not out

Dec 8 | 5:00PM

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SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano is back for an all new Giants Goal Line, as Big Blue gears up for a pivotal matchup vs. the Cowboys on Sunday night. Plus, Ralph digs a little deeper into the loss of defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul.

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Thursday Injury Report Presented by Ram

Dec 8 | 3:50PM

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(Brad Penner)

The Giants released their injury report on Thursday. The following players were listed...

The Giants' road to their first playoff berth since 2011 runs through the NFC wild-card (barring a miracle collapse by the Dallas Cowboys down the stretch). The race is obviously tight and the Giants need every win they can get.

And so we begin our regular look at where the race currently stands …

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Police investigating racist graffiti at Nikita Whitlock's home

Dec 8 | 4:05PM

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(Timothy T. Ludwig)

MOONACHIE, N.J. (AP) Police are investigating racist graffiti scrawled on the walls of a New Jersey home belonging to a New York Giants player.

Police on Thursday were investigating the break-in at Nikita Whitlock's home as a hate crime, Moonachie police Sgt. Richard Behrens told The Record.

Whitlock, who's black, showed reporters the graffiti - "KKK," a swastika and other racial slurs - that was on multiple walls scattered throughout his family's home. The name "Trump" was also written on the wall in marker.

Beckham: 'Stevie Wonder' could see calls officials missed

The DNL panel discusses if Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham should stop complaining about the officials in the game against the Steelers.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Odell Beckham insisted he was done talking about NFL officials. And he was.

At least for a moment.

But it took only a moment for the Giants' star receiver to go from insisting that complaining about the officiating was "wasting breath" to taking more shots at NFL officials. And all it took was a question about Ben McAdoo admitting that Beckham's gripes about the non-calls during the Giants' loss in Pittsburgh on Sunday were probably right.

Giants move forward without Jason Pierre-Paul

Aug 27, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (90) during the preseason game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. The Giants won, 21-20. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports (Vincent Carchietta)

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY.tv:

The next game Jason Pierre-Paul would likely be healthy enough to play is probably Super Bowl LI in Houston on Feb. 5.

Cruz, McAdoo discuss Giants offense after zero-target game

Dec 7 | 7:30AM

After failing to be targeted once against the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz had a talk with rookie coach Ben McAdoo.

What was interesting on Tuesday was Cruz said that it was McAdoo who sought him out as the Giants (8-4) returned to work and started looking forward to playing Dallas (11-1) on Sunday night at MetLife Stadium.

"I came into the building, we were getting ready for our first meeting and he came up to me and was like, `You are coming to see me, right?' I was like, `Yeah, I am coming to see you.' Shortly after, I came and saw him and we spoke and then that was it."

Giants sign DE Jordan Williams to practice squad

Dec 6 | 4:31PM

Williams signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent following the 2015 NFL Draft. He spent time on both New York and Miami's practice squads last season, before being promoted to the Dolphin's active roster in December.

The Dolphins released Williams on Sep. 20, after signing him to the practice squad only two weeks earlier.

Williams played his college ball at the University of Tennessee.

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Cruz: 'I'm a team guy first'

Dec 6 | 7:51AM

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New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (80) walks off the field after the game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. (Scott Galvin)

Despite venting his frustrations to reporters following the Giants 24-14 loss to Pittsburgh in which he did not have a single pass thrown to him, WR Victor Cruzreiterated to NFL Network on Monday that he is a team player and is not angry about his lack of targets against the Steelers.

"After the game, obviously I was a little angry so some of the comments stemmed from anger," Cruz said on Monday. "But I didn't say anything bad. I didn't say anything bad, but just out of anger you lost the game, you want to contribute and I just want to go out there and contribute at the end of the day. We'll see how it goes tomorrow when I step into work and have a conversation with coach [Ben McAdoo] which I plan on doing and we'll take it from there. But I'm not angry, I'm not a disgruntled employee, I'm not like screw this - I'm a team guy first and I just want to make sure that everybody's interest is at heart."

The Giants' rushing attack was dialed back against Pittsburgh

Dec 5 | 2:30PM

The Giants ran 55 plays during Sunday's 24-14 loss to the Steelers, running the ball just 14 times for 56 yards.

Rashad Jennings had six carries for 19 yards, while Paul Perkins rushed seven times for 38 yards -- an average of 5.4 yards per carry.

In their three prior games against the Browns, Bears, and Bengals, the Giants ran the ball 27 times, 29 times, and 27 times respectively -- eclipsing the 100-yard mark all three times while winning each game.

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Five takeaways from the Giants' loss to the Steelers

The Giants so badly wanted to prove to everyone that they were true contenders, that their six-game winning streak wasn't a mirage just because of the poor quality of some of the teams they beat. They wanted respect. They wanted to be taken seriously. They wanted to be considered one of the best.

Instead, they came out flat and played down to the diminished expectations of their doubters as they took their first real step up in class.

Manning, Giants' offense continue to flounder in loss to Steelers

Ben McAdoo, Odell Beckham, and Eli Manning comment on the team's lack of offensive production following a 24-14 loss to the Steelers.

PITTSBURGH -- At the start of what Ben McAdoo called "real football," he better hope he didn't just see the real Giants' offense.

But unfortunately for him, 12 games into the season, it sure looks like that what it is.

It remains the biggest mystery of the Giants' season, and at this point very likely the key to their demise: What has happened to what was once, and was supposed to be again a top-10 offense? The Giants gained an embarrassing 234 total yards in Sunday's 24-14 loss to the Steelers.

Cruz frustrated after being held without a target

PITTSBURGH -- It takes a lot to wipe the smile off of Victor Cruz's face, but the Giants finally found a way by ignoring him Sunday.

The Giants' former star receiver didn't have a single pass thrown to him during the Giants' 24-14 loss to the Steelers. Eli Manning threw 39 passes in the game to seven different targets, including 25 to three other receivers. But nothing went toward Cruz, despite the offensive struggles.

Beckham bitter against officiating crew after loss to Steelers

Giants head coach Ben McAdoo discusses his thoughts on the referees in the Giants' game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

PITTSBURGH -- Odell Beckham Jr. has had it with the officiating crew that he believes mishandled the Giants' 24-14 loss to the Steelers on Sunday -- the same crew he dealt with in his last two games against his nemesis, Josh Norman. He implied their rocky history has tilted the playing field against him.

And he believes they should be banned from officiating any Giants games again.

"It's not like I'm sitting here saying the refs are the reason we lost the game, but there's plenty of (bad) calls in the game and anybody can go watch the film. Anybody," Beckham said. "Anybody can go watch the film and see exactly what was going on. I don't know. I don't really think that we should have this crew any more when the Giants are playing with the past history and everything that's gone on."

The Pittsburgh Steelers ended the New York Giants' winning streak with a familiar formula.

Ben Roethlisberger passed for 289 yards and two touchdowns, Le'Veon Bell rolled up 182 yards of total offense, and Pittsburgh's resurgent defense harassed Eli Manning into a flurry of mistakes in a dominant 24-14 win on Sunday.

Antonio Brown edged good buddy Odell Beckham Jr. in their personal showdown, catching six passes for 54 yards and an acrobatic scoring grab at the back of the end zone. Tight end Ladarius Green added six receptions for 110 yards, both career highs, and a touchdown as the Steelers (7-5) won their third straight to keep pace with Baltimore atop the AFC North.

Manning completed just 24 of 39 passes for 195 yards with two touchdowns and two picks in the red zone for the Giants (8-4), whose six-game run ended with a thud. Beckham was largely a non-factor despite a game-high 10 receptions for 100 yards.

Giants-Steelers Week 13 Game Preview

SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano identifies three keys for a Giants victory on Sunday in Pittsburgh.

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY.tv:

THE GAME: The Giants (8-3) vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5) at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh on Sunday, Dec. 4 at 4:25 p.m. ET.

THE WEATHER: Cloudy and chilly, with temperatures in the upper 30s or low 40s. There's a small chance of a little rain, but at least it doesn't appear there'll be much wind.

WHAT IT MEANS: A lot. And a lot of different things. First, the Giants need to win if they have any hope of winning the NFC East. The Cowboys' comeback win in Minnesota on Thursday night made that a longshot for the Giants as it is. If they win, though, they'll remain two back and then if they beat the Cowboys next week they'd be one back with the tie-breaker and three games left to play. A loss in Pittsburgh, though, and the Giants will be three back with four games left and even if they beat the Cowboys next week the division is likely out of reach. The wild card race, though, may be their's to lose if they win in Pittsburgh. If that happens they'd be at least two games up, maybe three, with four to play. That's a virtual lock. But regardless of all that, this is a benchmark game for the Giants. Yes, they've won six in a row, but the competition hasn't exactly been stellar. Their December schedule represents a big step up in class and even though the Steelers have been erratic, beating them in Pittsburgh is the Giants' toughest challenge since their back-to-back trips to (and losses in) Minnesota and Green Bay, right before their winning streak started.

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Giants Mailbag: Is Cruz 'replacement level' now? Why no more targets for Shepard?

Giants-Steelers matchup to watch: Brown against Jenkins

When one thinks of a New York Giants-Pittsburgh Steelers matchup they envision a hard-hitting affair between big bodied linemen and linebackers. That may have been the case in years past, but the game has changed immensely in this decade. The biggest matchup in this Sunday's upcoming game between the two legendary franchises will likely take place between two 5"10" speedsters.

The Steelers' most explosive player is WR Antonio Brown, the 5'10" four-time Pro Bowler who has been virtually unstoppable the past several seasons. Fantasy players know Brown well and in legacy leagues, he rarely lasts past the first few selections. In DFS, Brown is one of the highest-valued names. He'll cost you, but he's usually worth it.

Giants Mailbag: Is Reese still on the hot seat?

Dec 3 | 6:34AM

Ralph Vacchiano: No, I'm pretty sure he's safe now. I'd say John Mara and Steve Tisch are pretty happy with six straight wins, an 8-3 record, a likely playoff berth and - if nothing else - a relevant December. They kept Reese around to turn the franchise back in the right direction after three straight losing seasons. Barring a total and stunning collapse down the stretch, that's exactly what he did...

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GEICO SportsNite: Who has had the better career, Eli Manning or Big Ben?

Giants run defense faces huge challenge in Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell

By John Fennelly | Dec 1 | 11:25AM

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(Aaron Doster)

When the leaves begin to cover the ground here in the East in late November, you can bet the NFL contenders are getting their running games in order. The Steelers are a prime example. Yes, they have an explosive passing game, but they know it's their running game that will propel them towards the postseason.

That running game is led by one of the best backs in the league in Le'Veon Bell, the fourth-year man out of Michigan State who came into this season still rehabbing from MCL/PCL surgery. He missed the first three games of the season due to another drug-related suspension and it's taken him a while to find his footing in this offense that was passing the ball nearly 65 percent of the time the first nine games of the year.

But that's changing as Bell has been heating up of late. The past two weeks, he rushed for 120 and 146 yards against Indianapolis and Cleveland respectively, and added 77 more yards in those games via 12 receptions. He is looking more and more like the weapon the Steelers had back in 2014, when Bell was a first-team All-Pro.

The Giants' star wide receiver gave the thumbs up sign when asked how his injured thumb was feeling on Wednesday. He injured it in the Giants' win in Cleveland on Sunday and was briefly forced to leave the game. He did return, though, and finish his six-catch, 96-yard, two-touchdown performance.

He wasn't on the Giants' injury report Wednesday and was able to participate in their light practice. He also said his thumb was "good," though he added that it definitely hurts.

"Every time it hits there," Beckham said. "In the game, I was going down to the ground and I had my hand over the ball. They tried to rip the ball and just ripped straight thumb. It doesn't feel good. I don't think you really notice how much your thumb bumps into stuff or gives out of its movement until you have one that's hurt and you bump it into a table.

Vereen returns to practice, could be ready to play against Cowboys

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Giants' struggling offense could soon get a boost with the return of running back Shane Vereen.

Vereen returned to practice with the team on Wednesday for the first time since suffering a partial tear of his triceps muscle in Week 3. And he's far enough along in his recovery, according to a team source, that the "hope" is he'll be ready to play in the Giants' showdown with the NFC East-leading Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 11.

"Man, I wish I knew, honestly," a clearly excited Vereen said after practice. "It's up to the doctors. I am progressing, doing everything that they have me do each and every day, just trying to take baby steps and hope enough of the baby steps will be to getting back on the field."

Vereen has been on injured reserve since his injury, but he will become the Giants' "designated to return" IR player as long as he's added to the active roster some time in the next 21 days. Giants coach Ben McAdoo would not put a timetable on Vereen's return - he said that will be up to the medical staff - but he was clearly excited by the idea.

Giants in strong position to make playoffs as 'real' football begins

As the "real football" begins this weekend, the Giants are in fantastic position. They still have a shot at winning the NFC East -- especially if they can beat the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 11 -- and they have a strong hold on at least one of the NFC's two wild-card spots.

With five games to go, though, their lead of two games isn't fully secure -- especially considering how difficult their schedule is down the stretch. Here's a look at the state of the wild-card race, and a look at the division race, too:

Eli Manning, Giants get insight from Peyton ahead of Steelers matchup

Nov 29 | 7:09PM

The New York Giants are getting some help on beating Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers by learning from Eli Manning's champion brother Peyton.

Peyton, a two-time Super Bowl champion who retired after the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50 in February, visited the Giants' facility on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Jordan Raanan.

Eli is facing the Steelers for the fourth time in his career, the first since 2012. Eli is 1-2 in those games, while Peyton, including the playoffs, went 4-1 in his career against the Roethlisberger-led Steelers, including a win in last year's AFC Divisional Game. Peyton threw for 1,250 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception in those matchups.

"He gave some insight," Eli said to Raanan. "Just some stuff that was successful; he's played Pittsburgh a lot over the years. Played 'em last year in the playoffs. So just had a few tips or ideas that may fit into our system."

Darkwa has been dealing with lower leg soreness, and has not recorded a carry since New York's 23-16 loss to the Packers on Oct. 9. The running back has only appeared on special teams in the last four games.

On the season, Darkwa has carried the ball 30 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns.

McAdoo says the real football starts now for the Giants

The first three months of the Ben McAdoo Era couldn't have worked out much better for the Giants. They are 8-3, the second-best record in their conference, and well-positioned for their first playoff berth in five years. They are rolling, coming off their sixth straight victory.

Everything is good. Everyone is happy. But the rookie coach still gave his team this warning:

"It's December football," he said on a conference call with reporters on Monday. "This is where the real football begins."

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Giants Goal Line Podcast: Getting By The Browns

Nov 28 | 4:05PM

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On this week's Giants Goal Line, SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano discusses another so-so win for the Giants, as well as the Odell Beckham Jr show, as Big Blue survived in Cleveland to beat the Browns and claim their 6th straight win. Plus, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post calls in to chat about whether or not the Giants are better or worse than their record, and whether or not they are serious contenders as the calendar flips to December.